Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
She wasn’t alone anymore.
“You okay?” Harlow asked, tucking a strand of bright blue hair behind her ear.
Nicole took a long breath and opened the door. “Yeah.”
“Hey, long time no see.” Claudine walked out of the office, a stack of fresh towels in her hand. She was dressed in what she liked to call afternoon chic. A flowy housedress, her long hair in a braid. She wore no makeup, so the working girl was obviously taking a day off. “I heard you made the move to the big time. Whew. You really living with the devil?”
“He’s not the devil,” Nicole said with a frown.
Harlow looked at the other woman. “Are we talking about Jack or Josh?”
Claudine shook her head. “Those men are the same. I swear. And I don’t say devil in a mean way, Nicole. Everyone knows Jackson Barnes is the kindest, most generous man around. But the man can also take a mean bit of revenge. I heard about Nicole’s confrontation last night with that hateful old man.”
“What are people saying about it?” Harlow asked. “Jack seemed to think it would get a lot of women to finally push back.”
“Oh, they’re pushing back. I had a date with a member of the city council, and he was complaining he’s already getting calls to make laws and stuff against yelling at women,” Claudine said with a wave of her beautifully manicured hands. “But don’t talk about that. A woman in my profession must practice discretion. Now I know the answer to this question already.”
Nicole could guess. “I’m not coming back. I’m going to marry Josh and Grim and be happy.”
Claudine smiled. “Then I’m happy for you.” She started to walk toward her room. “But the asshole who took your room when you left is a pervert creepo.” As she walked by the door Nicole used to call her own, she held up her middle finger. “Yeah, I’m talking about you. Creep who never leaves his room but is always watching. You’re gross. Steer clear of this guy, Nic. And invite me to the wedding. I never get to go to weddings. Only bachelor parties.”
Harlow’s eyes had gone wide. “Is she a sex worker?”
Nicole nodded and entered the room. “Yup. And a nice lady with good instincts. Let’s get out of here before the creep next door decides to stop by and say hello.”
“How did you ever think this woman was some housewife from rural Colorado?” Harlow stood by the vanity in the bathroom. “Her makeup bag is Fendi. And she has not one but two pairs of Louboutin flip-flops.”
Nicole shrugged. “I mean I’ve been wealthy adjacent, but it’s not like they were interested in buying me stuff. And I didn’t pay attention. I noticed her Chanel bag but she convinced me it was a knock-off.”
Harlow hauled out the plain black suitcase and flopped it on the bed. “I can spot a knock-off from a mile away, and I can tell you those shoes are real and her clothes are excellent quality. This is a woman with money.”
“I wonder why she does what she does.” Nicole gathered up her books. They were all she wanted, though she would take her sad two pairs of jeans, three Christa’s Café shirts, five pairs of underwear, one extra bra, and those crappy Crocs Alyssa had taken offense to.
“Because believe it or not, there are problems with being rich, too.” Harlow started carefully folding the clothes Kim Kent had left behind. “Sometimes it can feel like the money is the only thing that matters about you. You have to find your purpose. And I know it’s way easier to find your purpose when you’re not worried about where your next meal comes from, but it wasn’t my experience in life. I knew I always had food and a roof over my head and parents who love me, and I still had this kind of hole inside me.”
She’d talked a lot to Harlow over the last week, but they hadn’t touched on anything so personal as this. “Is that why you decided to become a PI? I thought it was because you were following in your dads’ footsteps. By the way, you should know I forgive them. They were trying to protect you, and they didn’t know me at all. I can understand why they did what they did.”
Harlow’s jaw tightened. “Well, I’m glad you do. Maybe I did start out because it felt familiar to me, but I’m good at my job. I don’t need my dads rushing in constantly to save me. I started out working with them, and two weeks was all I could take. Of course they freaked out when I opened my own office. They thought they could indulge me for a little while and then I would end up being their notetaker or something. They don’t think I can do this.”